Taken Different Roads
by GrayDove
Summary: For years, she had given greenhaired men a second look, to make sure that it wasn't him. And then, one day, it was. Inspired by Lonestar's What Might Have Been.


**A/N: Many thanks to the reviewers of "Forgetting the Cold"; it's nice to see that people can enjoy Eliwood/Fiora (also odd that a much less common couple generated me more hits and reviews than any of my other stories).**

Anyways, even though this fic is not a songfic, it was inspired by Lonestar's "What Might Have Been," and I pulled the title from a line in the song. But, despite that, I don't own Fire Emblem or the song.

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It is amazing, how two lives can be so intertwined that fate will not let them be separated for too long, before it twists the yarns of life together again.

Such is how a flash of green hair in the marketplace drew Priscilla's eye, as green hair had done for the last eight years. For eight years, every green-haired man was given a second glance, to make sure that there was not a shock of white interlaced.

And, because fate cannot stand to let two people forget, eight years after they had separated, Priscilla realized that the man she was staring at did indeed have a streak of white in his mop of green hair.

It took a moment for that fact to sink in, though. Making sure that the men were not Heath had become such a pattern that she did not expect to see him, did not know how to react. Until he had rounded the corner from sight.

Hoisting her full skirts above her ankles in a most unladylike fashion, Priscilla shoved her way through the market square, running wildly after the man who had rounded the corner. And, when she rounded the corner, she piled into that very same man, and crashed to the cobbled ground.

"I'm sorry miss," he murmured, kneeling to help her, eyes kept firmly on the ground. "I was not watching where I was going."

For a moment, tears welled in Priscilla's eyes. Surely it was Heath! The green and white hair, the noble face, the beautiful eyes… Even in commoner's clothes, he looked every bit a noble Wyvern Lord. "Heath," she murmured as she stood. "Don't- don't you know?"

The look of astonishment on Heath's face was worth all the years of waiting. "Priscilla!" he murmured, eyes wide.

Somehow, though, Priscilla had always imagined this moment differently. In her imagination, Heath would stare at her for a moment, then wrap his arms about her tightly, drawing her tightly to him. They would break apart just the slightest bit, and he would tilt her head upwards, and they would kiss. Of course, they weren't really supposed to be meeting in a smelly marketplace with the fisherman's wives staring at them, either.

It wouldn't have mattered who was watching them kiss, though. Because they had been waiting for each other, waiting for eight years, and the years of waiting would finally pay off. They would run away, to anywhere, and live happily. They could go to Lycia and work as farmers, or go to Sacae and roam the plains. They could even go to Ilia, and be mercenaries, hiring themselves out. Priscilla could even work as the town healer, if they were in a large enough place.

They would raise a family, too. Three boys and two girls, with the boys being the oldest, second oldest, and the youngest. The eldest boy would be just like Heath, except that his hair would be a rich, dark red. But he would be an honorable knight, and handsome, like his father. The second boy, with pale green hair and dark green eyes, would be a boy of the people, who loved to attend gatherings, and loved attention. And the youngest would be like Raven. Handsome, but moody, and masterful with a sword.

The younger of the two girls would be a tomboy, who loved jousting with her brothers. Green hair, like Heath. Gorgeous, and the breaker of many men's hearts. The older, though, would have solid white hair, like the streak of white in Heath's. And she would love books and nature and all things in general, the kind of person who found good in everything that she discovered.

They would raise their children for most of their lives. Countless memories would be made, each precious in its own right. Heath as a father… That had the opportunity for more memories than Priscilla could imagine.

He would die first, she had decided. Peacefully, in his sleep. She would see him buried, his tombstone erected, and then she would follow, buried next to him. After all, she had to take care of their affairs, and if she went first, Heath probably would not be able to handle everything.

Yet he was not drawing her close, not kissing her. All that he did was stare at her, eyes flicking up and down her figure. And they could not fall in love again until he kissed her.

"You- you look different," he finally managed. "What clothes- I suppose that your parents were happy to see you, for them to buy you all of those things."

And there it was. The part that wasn't supposed to be brought up until after the kiss, after they had sworn to run away to share a secret life. He shouldn't know. She should lie. But she couldn't. "I- I got married."

Hurt. That was all that Priscilla could find in his eyes when she said that. "Congratulations," Heath finally whispered, his expression hardening. "To whom?"

"Erk." It was barely above a whisper, but it had to be said. The scrawny purple-haired boy was now a slightly less scrawny, purple-haired Mage General.

"How long did you wait after I left before you penned out the contract?"

Priscilla's mouth fell open, and her eyes flew to Heath's face. "That's an unfair question," she replied, tears welling up. Her kind, gentle Heath was not supposed to be asking questions like that. He was supposed to reassure her that it was okay, and that they could start a new life anyways.

But the green-haired Wyvern Lord just frowned. "It's very fair," he replied, holding out his left hand. It bore no jewelry, no wedding band. "I waited."

"It's not the same!" Priscilla cried. "My adoptive parents, they- my mother was sick! She wanted to see me betrothed, in case she died. It was either Erk or someone else, like Lord Eliwood. And Erk had cared for me since I had hired him. He stayed with me, even though he was told he was too low to marry me!"

Heath recoiled when she said that, and Priscilla immediately wished the words back. She knew that Heath hadn't been able to come with her, for reasons that he had explained, and she understood. Yet he had left her, no matter what the reasons.

"I waited, too," Priscilla continued, taking advantage of the silence. "I waited five years after I was betrothed to actually get married. I told my parents, I told Erk, that if I found the man I was in love with before a reasonable amount of time had passed, I couldn't marry Erk. And they fought and coerced and tried to make me marry sooner, but I said no."

"You still married," Heath whispered. He paused, took a shaky breath, and continued. "Do you- do you have any children?"

Priscilla shook her head. "I was going to, I think. Once. Just a little after we were married. But it miscarried, early. I- I don't think that Erk and I will have children. I don't want to have children." She didn't want to have Erk's. But she could hardly say that.

"I wish that you had waited a little longer," Heath whispered. "I told you that I would come for you. I'm not in Etruria because I enjoy it here. I came back to find you."

Priscilla gave a small smile at that. "How long have you been here?"

"Etruria in general? Four years. It took that long to get my name cleared," Heath admitted. "This particular city, about six months."

She wanted to rush into his arms, wanted to cling tightly to him. Wanted to breathe in the smell of honor and kindness, for that was what Heath smelled of. He smelled like… Love.

But she couldn't.

All she could do was stand and smile, in her hunter-green dress, staring at this man who embodied everything that she had been hoping for. "Do you- do you want to get something to eat? There are a few taverns nearby, I think."

"The Mage General's wife shouldn't even be in the market square without an escort, or at least her lord husband," Heath replied scathingly. "I doubt Lord Erk would smile upon you being in a pub with a former outlaw of Bern."

His words cut, but Priscilla knew he could not mean them. He was her Heath, and she had hurt him more than words could say. "Yes," she whispered. "I- I loved you forever, Heath."

Heath nodded slowly, then managed a smile. "I loved you forever, too." He leaned forward, brushed his lips against hers, and bowed deeply. "Good-bye, Priscilla."

The culmination of all of her dreams and plans was a green-haired man in civilians garb, striding away from her and never looking back. It was amazing how quickly everything could be changed, altered, crushed.

She could never forget him. He would always be the empty spot in the darkest corner of her heart. And, out of habit, Priscilla would take a second look at any green-haired man who passed her way. But fate had finally decided to sever the two yarns of life, having taken enough delight out of bringing them together one last time.

But now, Priscilla had no way of knowing any of that. With a sigh, she turned and headed home. To Erk, to safety, and to love.

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**A/N Again: Ergh. Didn't like this one as much; but I never have the patience to rewrite anything.**


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